Men who torture

By Lubna Abdel-Aziz

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If Man is the axis of the universe, why then does he persist in persecuting, mutilating and killing his fellow man? How long will it be before he is wholly human? Thousands of years of toil and labor to improve his lot, and where is he now - refining his artillery, developing atomic power, generating nuclear energy? Where has all this technology taken us? Only to more efficient ways of disposing of each other.

Crushed between a bed of nails!

This flurry of agitation and upheaval that pervades the air and airwaves, over the degrading and disgraceful physical torture at Guantanamo sounds disingenuous and hollow. Having just celebrated Easter, the very thought of the crucifixion leaves us numb and dumbfounded. According to reports crucifixion still exists in some secretive, dark, dingy corners. Why are all those liberal savants so totally outraged by the comparatively benign act of waterboarding? Are we more humane now than we were then? Have we forgotten Hiroshima? Hitler? Stalin? Saddam?

Throughout the ages, men have performed unimaginable torture on each other. Why? There is always a reason, an excuse, a justification, but never a legitimate defense. Who are those men who invent such methods of inflicting pain, refine, polish and improve them with time? Who are those who sit calmly and quietly to apply them on their brothers? Pitiful little people, who gasp out their lives in boredom and idleness for lack of a conscience. Who are the masters and who are the slaves to their own savagery and fears. They care no more about their own torment of hell, than they do about the torment of their victims. What a mockery of our humanity, which becomes more questionable day by day. Forgotten is the Declaration of the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel Inhumane and Degrading Treatment or Punishment which was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nation on December 1st 1955. "Rights derived from the inherent dignity of the human person." What about international laws and the Geneva Convention? How many crimes of physical torture and heartless genocide have been committed since? Where are those self-righteous objectors? Whining and sniveling, they comprehend nothing that is going on around them, or else they pretend to be deaf and blind, when alerted to their own helplessness. Is it really possible that nothing could be done by civilized man to stop the massacre in Rwanda? Darfur? Sabra and Shtila? How can we pick and choose to be horrified at some human suffering and overlook others.

The Dark Ages were the dark ages, or is our present age of enlightenment darker still? Throughout history a plethora of torture techniques have been adopted to ensure maximum pain and a slow death. The practice developed into a science and an art. The barbaric nature of Medieval torture stands out as the most brutal.

"Lingchi," or "death by a thousand cuts," translated by some as "10,000 even 100,000," pieces was a popular form of torture in China from the Five Dynasties Period (907 -- 960) until its abolition in 1905. It involved the methodical removal of portions of the body over an extended period of time, while the subject is alive. Enough said -- it is impossible to even write bout the blood-curdling details. According to UN investigator, torture of dissidents is still widespread in China.

The practice of torture was once basically commonplace, as familiar and acceptable as all other inhumane human procedures. A scandalous period in the history of Catholicism is the "Papal Inquisition," which lasted over 300 years (1200 -- 1500) throughout Europe. The best known is the Spanish Inquisition. While Roman Catholics today condemn the Inquisition because it violates "modern standards of justice," it is hard to believe that men of God, teaching charity and forgiveness, could so mutilate and ravage the "children of God" at any time in history "to save their souls."

Devices like the Breast Ripper," were used on women accused of heresy, blasphemy, adultery or witchcraft. It consisted of four claws that slowly ripped away at the breast of their subjects who ultimately died of their wounds. "The Wheel" was the most popular means, employed throughout Germany and Europe and was still practiced until the 18th century. Remember all those period movies, those scenes in dark dungeons where the prisoner was placed on a rack, while each limb was shattered joint after joint. Maybe you don't. That was the moment you covered your eyes till the scene was over. The victim was then hoisted to the top of the pole for crows to pluck out his eyes and devour the remains of his flesh. Stranger than that was the public spectacle of iniquity, insensitivity and inhumanity. Other means of artful execution was the Head crusher, the Rack, the Iron Collar, the Iron Maiden, Judas' Cradle, the Brakes, and on and on. One can only imagine the colossal pain each device caused. It almost makes the crucifixion merciful in comparison. Yet, having just read Dr. C. Truman Davis' description of the excruciating suffering of Jesus on the cross, is it conceivable, as reported, that it is still being practiced in some countries to this day.

To those unclear about "waterboarding," considered the harshest method of torture used in Guantanamo, it seems more like a game of scrabble compared to other means of torture. The victim is strapped on a board slightly inclined. His nose and mouth are covered with cloth or plastic, and water is poured on his face. No danger or physical damage is caused, and no water enters the nose or mouth. It lasts 25 -- 40 seconds inducing momentary panic and a sensation of drowning. It is also cruel and inhumane and is not being condoned by this writer or any human. However it is only described in perspective to other crimes and means of torture6 occurring all over the globe for which there is no outrage. Silent are the voices regarding what the Palestinians endure inside Israeli prisons. Enter an Israeli prison and ask the interrogators if they spend sleepless nights haunted by phantoms of their Palestinian victims, or do they feel superior, secure, and satisfied? What about Al Qaeda means of torture among many others? It is hardly justified to be selective in our concern and outrage. If we believe in equal rights for all humans, should we not also have equal compassion? The self- righteous double standard of favoritism is unacceptable.

Are we to believe Nietsche's prediction that man is something to be surpassed? Savagery is safe and secure within man's breast, despite his indulgence in beauty, art, civility, charity, kindness and grace. His repeated attempts at humaneness, have been thwarted and aborted at the iron gates of his primeval barbaric disposition. It will be long before man ceases to torture his fellow man!

Man's inhumanity to man, makes countless thousands mourn
-- Robert Burns (1759 -- 1796)